Marvel Comics Cancels “X-23”

CBR News has learned that the monthly comic starring Wolverine’s clone daughter has been canceled. Reached for comment, a spokesman for Marvel would not confirm the end of the series but did say that writer Marjorie Liu has more work to come from the House of Ideas.

The move comes on the heels of several abrupt cancellations earlier this month for titles including “Victor Von Doom,”“Alpha Flight” and “Destroyers.” However, while those projects were either miniseries that weren’t yet published or solicited or one that saw its planned launch as a monthly scuttled, “X-23” presents a different case entirely. Aside from being an established monthly title, the comic is currently Marvel’s only ongoing starring a female lead and the one written by arguably their most recognized female writer in Liu.

In a recent installment of his AXEL-IN-CHARGE column on CBR, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso noted that cancellations of titles like “Alpha Flight” came in part due to “new budgetary mandates” while the publisher is bolstering its line in a tough economy by shipping extra installments of it core series in 2012. In that light it is important to note two things. Firstly, at #104 on Diamond’s Sale Estimates for October books, “X-23” was not the lowest-shipping Marvel Universe series. Behind it were such comics as “Thunderbolts,” “X-Factor,” “Avengers Academy” and “Ghost Rider” amongst others. Secondly, in the new X-Title solicitations no less than seven books will ship two issues in February including “Uncanny X-Men” and “Wolverine & The X-Men.”

Fans of the X-23 character can take heart in one respect, however. The character will beginning to appear regularly in “Avengers Academy” starting in January’s issue #24 as well as take part in the upcoming “Venom” mini event.

Marvel’s advance X-Solicitations will hit in one hour, at 9AM Pacific. For more on this move and other Marvel Comics news, stay tuned to CBR.